Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Government scraps 12-minute-per-hour advertisement cap for TV channels
In India, there used to be a rule that limited how many advertisements television channels could show.
The rule said a channel could show about 12 minutes of ads in every hour of TV: 10 minutes of commercials and 2 minutes of the channel's own promotions.
The government has now decided to remove this rule, so TV channels will be able to show more advertisements.
The government says this is fair because there are many more channels now — over 900 instead of about 62 in 2006.
It also says online video platforms do not have this kind of limit, so TV channels were at a disadvantage.
Television channels earn a large part of their money from advertisements, whether they are pay or free-to-air channels.
Earlier this year, a court in Delhi said the ad limit was allowed because airwaves are public resources that should be used fairly.
Even so, the government has decided to change the rule to support fair competition and make business easier.
The change will begin after the new rule is officially published in the government's Gazette.
India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) announced the removal of the 12-minute-per-hour advertisement cap for TV channels.
The restriction, under Rule 7(11) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, allowed up to 10 minutes of commercials and two minutes of self-promotional content per hour.
The ministry cited the sector's heavy dependence on advertising revenue and a non-level playing field versus digital media, which faces no such cap.
Introduced in 2006 when India had about 62 TV channels, the cap will be lifted once the amended rules are notified in the Gazette; there are now more than 900 channels.
In May, a Delhi High Court bench upheld the cap, ruling there is no constitutional guarantee of profitability or unlimited monetisation of public resources.
- Who
- India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which announced the decision; television broadcasters who sought removal of the cap; and the Delhi High Court, which upheld the cap in May.
- What
- Removal of the 12-minute-per-hour advertisement cap for TV channels via an amendment to the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
- When
- Announced on Friday, August 14, 2026, per PTI (one report cites August 15); effective once the amendment is notified in the Gazette; the Delhi High Court ruling came in May.
- Where
- India, with the announcement reported from New Delhi.
- Why
- To enable fair competition with digital media, which faces no similar advertising cap, and to ensure ease of doing business in a sector heavily dependent on advertising revenue.
Supporters of removing the cap
Supporters of keeping the cap
Competition with digital media
Supporters of removing the cap
Digital media faces no advertisement time cap, creating a non-level playing field; the TV sector is heavily dependent on advertising, and removing the cap enables fair competition and ease of doing business.
Supporters of keeping the cap
Spectrum and airwaves are scarce public resources held in trust by the State, and the cap prevents excessive commercial exploitation while ensuring their equitable use.
Broadcasters' revenues and commercial speech
Supporters of removing the cap
The cap adversely affects broadcasters' advertising revenues and their commercial speech rights.
Supporters of keeping the cap
There is no constitutional guarantee of profitability or unlimited monetisation of public resources; TRAI acted within its statutory authority, and the '10+2 minutes per clock hour' framework strikes a proportionate balance between broadcasters' rights and public interest.
- Current cap
- 12 minutes of non-programme content per hour (10 minutes of commercials + 2 minutes of self-promotional content)
- Legal provision
- Rule 7(11) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994
- Cap introduced
- 2006
- TV channels in 2006
- About 62
- TV channels at present
- More than 900
- Announced by
- Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- Effective from
- Once the amendment is notified in the Gazette
- May ruling
- Delhi High Court upheld the cap, calling the 10+2 minutes per clock hour framework a proportionate balance between broadcasters' rights and public interest
